Channel indicator

ABSTRACT

A channel indicator comprising a drum carrying thereon detachable numbered tabs for channel indication and a door of simple structure through which the drum is accessible and which has a window through which the numbers on the detachable tabs on the drum can be seen.

United States Patent 1191 Tada Dec. 24, 1974 CHANNEL INDICATOR [56] References Cited [75] Inventor: Siro Tada, Chigasaki, Japan UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,955,085 4/1934 Osborn 116/124.4 [73] Asslgnee' fiz g g f tf gf dust/a1 2,257,022 9/1941 Pressley 116/129 p 1 3,177,432 4/1965 Kelln 325/457 [22] Filed: Mar. 3, 1972 3.192,779 7/1965 Smith 74/10 [21] Appl' 231559 Primary Examiner-Louis J. Capozi Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Stevens. Davis. Miller & [30} Foreign Application Priority Data Mosher Mar. 5, 1971 Japan 46-14589 Mar. 8, 1971 Japan 1. 46-l5243 [57] ABSTRACT A channel indicator comprising a drum carrying [52] Cl l16/l24-1 325/4641 3 34/86 thereon detachable numbered tabs for channel indica- [51] Int. Cl. H03] 1/02 tion and a door, of simple Structure through which the [58] Field of Search 1l6/l24.1, 124.2, 124.3, drum is accessible and Which has a window through which the numbers on the detachable tabs on the drum can be seen.

4 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTED 052241974 sum 2 9 5 CHANNEL INDICATOR The present invention relates to a channel indicator for use in a TV receiver and more particularly to a channel indicator which can indicate with corresponding channel numbers the channels to be received in the UHF band as well as the channels to be received in the VHF band.

According to the conventional channel indicator used in a TV receiver, the channel indication is performed in such a manner that the channels to be received in the VHF band may be represented by some suitable identification numbers while the channels in the UHF'band are identified with their respective frequencies. In general the UHF channels are indicated by an indicating needle associated with a face upon which measurement of frequencies are graduated. This dial type indication has, however, a drawback that the exact choice of the desired channel on the dial is very troublesome. For this reason, there is an increasing demand, for example by the FCC standard, that the UHF channels should be directly indicated by the corresponding numbers just as the VHF channels.

One object of the present invention is to provide a channel indicator which can meet such a requirement as noted above, I

Another object of the invention is to provide a channel indicator in which the numbers for channel indication can be easily altered.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings which show the details of embodiment of the invention, in which the same reference numerals have been applied to like parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the control panel section provided in the front face of a television receiver having a channel indicator embodying the present invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are respectively the rear view and the cross section of the panel section in FIG. 1';

FIG. 4 is an illustration which is useful in explaining themovements of a door through which the main part of the channel indicator used in the television receiver as shown in FIG. 1 is accessible;

FIGS. 5a to 5e are a perspective view of a drum for carrying tabs for channel indication thereon, a plan I view of one of the tabs, a lateral sectional view of the drum, a fragmentary plan view of another drum having the same purpose on which a tab of a different kind is mounted in a position, and a fragmentary plan view of the last mentioned drum in which the tab is moved to a second position;

FIG. 6 shows the positional relationship between the panel section and the drum; and

. FIGS. 7 and 8 are views which illustrate the joint operation of the drum and the tuner shaft.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a television receiver set 10 which has on the upper right portion of its front surface, a control panel section comprising a UHF fine tuner knob 5; a UHF channel selector knob 6; a VHF fine tuner knob 8; a VHF channel selector knob 9; an indicator dial for UHF band consisting of an indicating pointer 1 and a frequency-labeled tab 2; a door 4; a window 11 providedin the door 4 through which detachable number tabs attached onto the drum belonging to a UHF channel indicator can be seen; and a window 7 through which numbers representing the channels of the VHF band can be seen.

The detailed structure of the door 4 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The door 4 has a pair of bearings 15, in which a shaft 12 so bent as to have elasticity is received which shaft is in turn rigidly supported on its end by a fixing member 13. The elastic force is, therefore, exerted on the door 4 in the directions indicated by arrows A and B shown in FIG. 3 which shows the cross section of the door 4 shown in FIG. 2. The panel body has a depressed step portion 41 to retain the upper edge of the door 4 therein.

FIG. 4 show how the door 4 is opened. Part (a) of FIG. 4 shows a state of the door 4 being shut and (a') shows the directions of the force exerted on the door 4 by means of the shaft 12. In this case, the force in the downward direction represented by the arrow pointingdown in (a') is greater than that in the left-hand direction represented by the arrow pointing left in part (a') so that the lower edge of the door 4 is strongly pressed on the panel body to produce friction and so that the door 4 tends to be kept in its closed state. When the lower edge of the door 4 is disengaged from the panel body, as shown in (b), by pushing the door by, for example, a finger in 'the direction indicated by arrow C, the door 4 shifts downward due to the downward force exerted thereon by the shaft 12 and assumes a state as seen in (c). In this state, the door 4 is supported only by the shaft 12 and is swingable thereon so that it can freely be opened. When it is desired to close the door 4, the only necessary operation is to insert a finger into the window 11 of the door 4 and to urge the door 4 in the upward direction. As a result of doing so, the door 4 resumes the state as shown in (a), that is, it is shut.

As described'above, according to the present invention, the door can be opened and closed without any knob or grip being provided on the frontface of the door through which the number tabs on the drum are accessible, and therefore the appearance of the TV receiver set is also prevented from being impaired by the presence of such a knob or grip provided out of place. Further, the mechanism to hold the door in place is very simple since it comprises bearing members 15, a

shaft 12 so bent as to have elasticity and a fixing member 13. This leads to the simplification of the manufacturing process, easiness of maintenance and reduction of production cost.

FIGS. 5a and 5c showthe main part of the channel indicator according to the invention, located in the rear of the door 4, and FIG. 5b shows one of numbered tabs. Referring to FIGS. 5a and 50, there is illustrated a drum 16 carrying numbered tabs for channel indication which has recesses 18 and guide ridges 17 extending along the axis of the drum 16, the recesses and guide ridges being equidistantly spaced from one another along the periphery of the drum 16, and which is also provided with a spider spring 19 having a plurality of hands 21 having at their outer ends engaging hooks 20.

The numbered tabs 3 can be detachably held on the drum 16 by means of the recesses 18 and the engaging hooks 20 of the spider spring 19. Namely, the lug 23 of a tab 3 is first fitted into the recess 18 of the drum'l6, the tab 3 closely resting on the drum 16 while the hook 20 is kept apart from the drum by bending the hand 21 of the spider spring 19, and thereafter the hand 21 is released and the hook 20 is restored to its resting position to fix the tab 3 in place.

FIGS. d and 5e show other ways of detachably mounting the tab on the drum. In these figures, a drum 24 is provided with ridges 25 which are undercut to define guide grooves. The drum 24 also has a projection 26 to engage jaws 28 of a tab 27. The tab 27 also has engaging cars 29 which are retained in the guide grooves of the ridges 25 when the tab 3 is placed in its proper position on the drum. The tab 27 is first placed on the drum 24 between the ridges 25 with the jaws 28 short of the projection 26, and then the tab 27 is moved toward the projection 26 until the jaw 28 of the tab 27 has engaged the projection. The jaws 28 are so formed as to have enough elastic force to fix the tab 27 in place unless any external force is exerted on the tab. In this case, ie where the jaws 28 of the tab 27 are engaging the projection 26 of the drum 24, the engaging ears 29 of the tab 27 are retained in the guide grooves in the ridges 25, as previously described.

Referring to FIG. 6, a drum 16 carrying thereon detachable numbered tabs for channel indication is shown as disposed in actual spacial relation to a swingable door 4. Namely, the drum carrying tabs for channel indication thereon supported on a shaft 30 is disposed at the rear of the door 4 provided in the control panel on the front side of a TV receiver set. The door 4 can be opened or closed by exerting a force respectively on the lower or upper portion thereof, as previously described and therefore the attachment of the tabs 3 onto the drum l6 and the removal thereof from the same are both easily performed by way of the door 4.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show tuner sections in which the joint operation of the tuner shaft and the drum for channel indication is seen. In FIG. 7, a tuner section 31 has a shaft 32 which, when rotated, drives a belt 33 mechanically coupled to the drum 16 and therefore rotates the drum 16. A lever 34 whichmoves in response to the rotation of the tuner shaft 32, drives the pointer l which performs a rough indication of the UHF channels.

In FIG. 8, there is shown a tuner 35 which has a shaft 36 whose rotation is transmitted through gearing engagement to a drum 37 carrying numbered tabs for channel indication.

What is claimed is:

1. A channel indicator comprising a rotating drum which can be rotated in response to the rotation of a tuner shaft, a plurality of numbered tabs disposed detachably on the periphery of said drum, the numbers on said tabs corresponding to predetermined channels, a swingable door provided in a control panel on the front side of a TV receiver set and spaced opposite and closely from a peripheral wall of said drum when said swingable door is normally closed, said swingable door being mounted at such a position that said tabs corresponding to the predetermined channels can be removed manually from the peripheral wall of said drum through said swingable door when said swingable door is opened in an outward direction, and a window provided in said door, through which the channel numbers on said tabs on said drum can be seen.

v 2. A channel indicator according to claim 1, wherein said door is provided with bearings while a fixing member is provided on a portion of said panel other than said door, and an elastic shaft is provided and is supported at its one end swingably by said bearings and at the other end rigidly by said fixing member, and wherein a stepped structure is formed in a portion of said panel nearest the upper edge of said door so as to prevent the overswing of said door while a support structure is formed in a portion of said panel nearest the lower edge of said door so as to provide friction against said lower edge of said door, so that said door, when closed, tends to be kept closed due to downward force exerted on said door by means of said elastic shaft.

3. A channel indicator according to claim 1, wherein said rotating drum is further provided in the vicinity of one lateral side thereof with recesses which receive a lug of one said tabs while on other lateral side of said drum is provided a spring member which'urges said tabs toward said recesses and which has stopping hooks to engage said tabs.

4. A channel indicator according to claim 1, wherein said rotating drum is further provided on its peripheral surface with ridges to guide said tabs along them and with projections to be clamped by the clamping jaws provided in said tabs. 

1. A channel indicator comprising a rotating drum which can be rotated in response to the rotation of a tuner shaft, a plurality of numbered tabs disposed detachably on the periphery of said drum, the numbers on said tabs corresponding to predetermined channels, a swingable door provided in a control panel on the front side of a TV receiver set and spaced opposite and closely from a peripheral wall of said drum when said swingable door is normally closed, said swingable door being mounted at such a position that said tabs corresponding to the predetermined channels can be removed manually from the peripheral wall of said drum through said swingable door when said swingable door is opened in an outward direction, and a window provided in said door, through which the channel numbers on said tabs on said drum can be seen.
 2. A channel indicator according to claim 1, wherein said door is provided with bearings while a fixing member is provided on a portion of said panel other than said door, and an elastic shaft is provided and is supported at its one end swingably by said bearings and at the other end rigidly by said fixing member, and wherein a stepped structure is formed in a portion of said panel nearest the upper edge of said door so as to prevent the overswing of said door while a support structure is formed in a portion of said panel nearest the lower edge of said door so as to provide friction against said lower edge of said door, so that said door, when closed, tends to be kept closed due to downward force exerted on said door by means of said elastic shaft.
 3. A channel indicator according to claim 1, wherein said rotating drum is further provided in the vicinity of one lateral side thereof with recesses which receive a lug of one said tabs while on other lateral side of said drum is provided a spring member which urges said tabs toward said recesses and which has stopping hooks to engage said tabs.
 4. A channel indicator according to claim 1, wherein said rotating drum is further provided on its peripheral surface with ridges to guide said tabs along them and with projections to be clamped by the clamping jaws provided in said tabs. 